The Lunar Watchman
by Crow's Gamble
Summary: In the wake of Zeromus' demise, Golbez suffers pangs of conscience from his Lunarian slumber. Determined to right the wrongs of his past, Golbez guides Earth's progress from afar. Final Fantasy IV
1. Golbez

**Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy IV. This was written solely for fun. I am making no money off this work, and no animals were harmed in the making of this fic. Enjoy.**

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**Chapter 1: Golbez**

The lunar mass revolved around Earth, slowly and gradually. For the Overworld of Earth, the sun was only just beginning to set, but for the moon, night never forsook the Lunarians who remained dormant, undisturbed in their slumber. Golbez was one such Lunarian who had willfully joined his uncle in hibernating, preparing for the day that humans and Lunarians would be able to coexist in peace. It was thanks to humans that it was so peaceful in the first place. The moon would probably never again encounter the excitement that it had seen a year ago.

As the cliché goes, good triumphed over evil in an epic clash of power between a great group of warriors from Earth and a monstrosity known as Zeromus. Zeromus was the reborn manifestation of the spirit and hatred of Zemus, Golbez's most hated of foes. Zemus had only been a puppet master, but once freed from his corporeal form, Golbez had proven completely useless in combat against him. Of course, in the end, good had triumphed over evil, but where did he stand on that? What right did Golbez have to contemplate any of the endless vortexes surrounding the concept of right and wrong? Zeromus had said so himself: Golbez had been tainted by the path he had chosen. Could he find forgiveness?

With an extreme urge of willpower, he pushed these thoughts away. It was all over now, and any anxieties should have been as diminished as Zeromus. He would be here for a very long time. Taking his place as a Lunarian, he would wait for the inhabitants of Earth, particularly the humans, to evolve just as much as his race had. Once this happened, they would live together in harmony. As Zemus' mind slave, Golbez had never truly enjoyed a positive connection with humanity, but it could not be denied that he owed his life to an entire group of them. His own brother had been leading the onslaught, and it was he that ultimately plunged his mighty sword Ragnarok into Zeromus' flesh, ending that vile creature's existence once and for all. The sequential emotions had never been experienced by Golbez before: relief, shame, and love. Even before losing his free will, he had no experience with emotions so pure, so…human.

This all only served to reiterate and emphasize the horrors Golbez had committed in his servitude to Zemus. The pain he had inflicted on the inhabitants of Earth was an everlasting burden to his conscience that may never be eased…

Though he could not open his eyes, they would have widened if he were awake, remembering that the Crystals that served as safeguards to Lunarian slumber were responsive to magic, even effective at enhancing it. The primary purpose of the Crystals was to protect the moon's residents from any potential enemies, but they also served as catalysts, enhancing the spells' efficiency of the hibernating mages.

_I wonder_, Golbez thought bemused. Focusing his mana, he tapped into the ancient magic of the Crystals as he felt the third eye of his mind open. _Sight!_ His mind shuddered as he laid eyes on his unconscious body, held in suspended animation between two like-positioned Lunarians. Mentally shifting his target, his visual extended far beyond the majesty of the Crystal Palace or the mystery of the Lunar Ruins. Leaving his corporal form far behind, the manifestation of his soul rose above the moon's rocky terrain, and in an instant, he had zipped through the never-ending bounds of space and was coming in fast on a bright blue planet he knew so well. _Earth._

_Where are you, Cecil? _

The forestry and expansive deserts of Earth flashed by as Golbez moved his gaze quickly. Identifying his target, Golbez looked down over the Kingdom of Baron in wonder. Had its size doubled since he had been the captain of the Redwings? All of Baron was out and about, music filling the air as busy citizens shuffled past one another briskly, mothers pulling their children along hand-in-hand while men dressed in white garments carried plates of food high above their heads to avoid spillage. Golbez noticed in surprise that there were many dwarfs within the Baron's walls as well, rolling kegs of alcohol after the food-carrying humans. Clearly, a festive celebration was at work.

Golbez darted ahead of the caters and it immediately became clear where the crowd was converging. Soaring through the spectators, he reached the middle of the spectacle and silently gasped. _Cecil? _He mouthed as his eyes fell on two familiar figures, his heart overfilling with joy.

With the entire kingdom cheering them on, Golbez beheld his younger brother arm-in-arm with a woman. He guiltily recognized Rosa, a woman he had kidnapped during his brother's travels, but he brushed these feelings of shame aside as he observed the pair with interest. Cecil's shoulder-length white hair was wafting peacefully against the breeze, Ragnarok resting in a jewel-encrusted sheath. He was standing tall in his Paladin armor, polished to perfection so that the blue and white metal gleamed even in the descending sun's rays. Rosa, previously the well-reputed most beautiful woman of all of Baron, had never looked lovelier than she did at this very moment. She was consumed by a white silky dress, a dress fit for a queen, covering her from shoulders to ankles. A finely cut crystal hung on a choker around her neck, mirroring the prism-like diamond earrings that dangled from her ears. A white veil covered the top half of her face, but her gorgeous brown locks crept beneath it, her mouth was curved into a truly joyous smile. The decorated gloves she normally wore were absent, and as Cecil took her hand with a kiss, realization hit Golbez like a ton of bricks. This could only be a wedding!

Golbez had never anticipated anything of this caliber; the atmosphere, the anticipation, the knowledge of what was to come! The crowd roared in delight as Cecil gently lifted Rosa's veil, an apologetic grin on his face. Rosa's hands tenderly embraced Cecil's face, a longing look in her eyes.

"Hurry up and kiss!" A gruff voice burst out from among the attendees, prompting gales of laughter. Rosa recoiled from Cecil shyly, but smiling all the same. As Golbez glanced around the crowd, he quickly located the source of the lovers' disturbance. It was the airship engineer of Baron, Cid Pollendina, whose wild and hairy face reflected an untamed man that was clearly unorthodox enough to interrupt a wedding service. Gazing around the guests, he grew shocked as more familiar faces caught his attention. Rydia of Mist was present with the Eidolon Whyt nestled in her arms. Twin mages Palom and Porom were dancing around with Yang Fang Leiden of Fabul's monks. Even the Dwarvan king of the Underworld, Giott, was present, watching the scene with an air of solemnity that did not come naturally to his people. Dwarfs and humans had merged together in the crowd to create an ethnical blend of races. It appeared that each and every person Cecil had ever encountered must be attending.

As Golbez identified more and more of Cecil's comrades in arms, he realized with a pang of regret that this was not the case. Kain Highwind was conspicuously absent. Perhaps it should not have come as such a surprise, but considering Golbez had murdered the legendary sage Tellah and still been redeemed in Cecil's eyes, he had been sure that his brother would find it in his heart to forgive the mind-warped Kain. Golbez decided he would find out later, for having associated with Kain more than any of Cecil's friends, he did not want to add Kain's exile or death to his already heavy conscience.

As he focused back on his brother and Rosa, he was startled to discover that the humanized version of Odin, the former king, had joined the couple. King Baron had been the last of his bloodline to rule the Kingdom of Baron, though his life had been snuffed early by the archfiend of water, Cagnazzo. Golbez would have never predicted that this would result in his becoming an Eidolon though…

King Baron placed his hands on Cecil and Rosa's shoulders, greeting them with a fatherly smile and warm cheer. With a whistle, King Leviathan burst from the nearby waters with his wife Asura on top of his head. As the crowd was sprayed with water, the duo appeared before Cecil, Rosa, and King Baron with reverence. Opening his mouth, King Leviathan revealed a pair of golden rings, which Queen Asura carefully plucked out. Handing one to Cecil and Rosa respectively, the two Eidolon sank back into the crowd, which Golbez realized contained several Eidolon. As Cecil slid his ring on Rosa's ring finger, his love giggled.

"It's sticky," Rosa laughed, prompting laughter all around her. As she ringed Cecil as well, King Baron clasped his hands together pleased.

"I now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss the bride!" The reaction that followed Cecil and Rosa's lip-locked embrace was one of thunderous proportions. A smattering of applause and cheering came from all of the attendees. King Baron silenced everyone with a raised hand as Cecil and Rosa temporarily pulled apart.

"Palom! Porom!" He called. The young mages looked startled, but hurried up to King Baron. King Baron placed two velvet pillows on the ground and stood back expectedly. Palom tapped his rod while Porom twirled around her staff, and together, the duo began chanting a spell that Golbez recognized as a variant of the Teleport spell. Two beautiful crowns materialized on the pillows. The left-sided crown appeared to be made out of crystal, a ruby embedded in the center and a great silver band circulating around it. The right-sided crown looked to be made of diamond, encrusted with a sapphire rather than a ruby, and a great gold band around it. The mages stood back apprehensively while King Baron thoroughly inspected the two crowns. Satisfied, he dismissed Palom and Porom back into the crowd and faced Cecil.

"Kneel," he commanded. The crowd watched with baited breath as Cecil stooped before King Baron. King Baron lifted the left-sided crown from the pillow and raised it high for the entire kingdom to see. Placing it snugly on Cecil's head, he spoke with a booming voice. "Now arise, my son, and take your rightful place as the new king of Baron!"

As Cecil assumed his full height, everyone burst into cheers far more grand than even those for the consummating kiss just moments ago. As King Baron placed Rosa's crown on her head and raised his sword to the heavens, the smattering of applause and cheering became quite literally deafening. Palom was screaming in delight, his voice amplified through magic. Porom, rather than giving her brother the usual _bonk_ on the head for his antics, had joined in without hesitation. Edge, the new king of Eblan, had apparently gone temporarily insane and was hugging Rydia without shame, though she was returning it with shaky sobs of joy onto his shoulder, much to Whyt's disgruntlement.

Though the cheering did not entirely die down, everyone turned in awe as an almighty roar echoed from Bahamut, the God of Eidolons. Stretching his powerful wings and going airborne, a blast of pure power was expelled from his mouth, cutting across the sky. The other Eidolons followed suit, all but the weakest merging their own elements of fire, ice, earth, wind, and thunder in with the spectacle. Golbez watched in awe, and struck by inspiration, activated his most powerful spell.

_Meteor_!

With his explosive tribute, the energy vortex scattered across the sky, tinting the sunset with magical particles, the sparkling remnants of colossal powers in unity.

With this majestic offering complete, the celebration entered full swing. Before too long, Cid was on his fourth glass of ale, slobbering alcohol down his hairy beard in an effort to drink King Giott under the table. Many people were swaying slowly to the symphonious melodies played from the harp of Edward Chris von Muir, the new king of Damcyan. Golbez shuddered as he bloody images of Damcyan's massacre floated through his mind. He had been behind this attack, killing everyone Edward loved and cared for, including his mother, father, and fiancée Anna. How could life continue so normally? So…joyfully?

As Edward increased the tempo, the citizens began pairing up in dance. Golbez found himself dumbfounded and somewhat and intrigued by the happenings of these people. One moment Cecil was slow dancing with one of the most beautiful women on the entire planet, and the next, he was roaring with laughter as he tangoed with Cid. He swapped partners with Yang who was stylishly waltzing with Palom, attracting even more laughter. King Giott was spinning in a circle with his daughter Luca. Yang's wife Sheila was being swept off her feet by the charismatic Edge while Porom had twisted around Rydia's arms.

As the music's tempo reached its climax, a drunken Cid swaggered to his airship with his arm swung around Edge. The duo took off in an airship, serving as the flagship for Baron's entire fleet. They lit the skies with cannon fire, and the rest of the airships followed suit, firing wildly and filling the darkening sky with aimless shots. The fun was cut short when Ifrit apparently thought it would provoke laughter to try and flip the airship Cid and Edge were in. He was correct, but nonetheless, the duo's enthusiasm was stilted after this.

As the airships safely landed, everyone topped off the night with a toasting of Champagne. For those like Rydia and the Dwarves who had spent their lives with less fine drinks, this proved immensely satisfying. Others such as Edge and Cid plowed through several in a row and were now happily tired. As the citizens gradually made their way to their homes or the town inn, the Eidolons began to teleport, returning to the land they claimed their own. King Baron was the last to vanish, holding Cecil and Rosa's hands in pride.

Cecil and Rosa patrolled the virtually deserted city of Baron, encountering no one still of a sober mind. Several citizens lay passed out on the ground snoring peacefully, but the majority of the populace was stuffing up the town inn. Strangers were sharing rooms and chatting contently, not at all concerned with any inconvenience. The Dwarves, Cecil's acquaintances, and Cecil's friends were all given high-class rooms in the palace. As the lovers embraced outside, Edward's gentle music had now become a lullaby of sorts as he strung his passion into his heart. Cecil smiled towards Rosa and offered her his hand. As she took it, the two danced in the moonlight. Golbez smiled at the scene.

_I suppose that's all for tonight. Good night, my brother. _

As Golbez's mind returned entirely to his body, fatigued from his mana usage, he realized that his face was slightly damp. Perhaps the joys of Cecil's marriage had more of an impact on him than he had anticipated? He pondered the potential causes bemused, but ultimately, the reasoning did not matter. Time had moved on, and Golbez was content to continue watching over and, if necessary, protecting Earth until he was certain all was well. Feeling his mind shutting down, Earth's guardian angel was swept into unconscious sleep.

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**Author's Note: I finally cracked and decided I had to completely update this fanfiction. I finished five chapters whenever I was in junior high school and I really didn't make much of an effort to update and improve it since, a shame that has been dogging me ever since I started taking fanfiction seriously as a hobby. This is the new and improved version; I can now take pride in claiming it as my work. It has been bumped up from 3 pages to 6, and I am anticipating similar changes for the other four chapters I've finished, plus, now that it is at a big kid level, I might finally have the motivation to update it frequently. The general story will not change much, but it will be much less cliché and much more detailed than what my adolescent self spit out. Please review, favorite, and follow to let me know what you think!**

**Crow**


	2. Rydia

**Chapter 2: Rydia **

With the excitement of his brother's wedding, Golbez found that unconscious rest ended in an instant and as Earth entered a new day, Golbez was compelled to once again join as he cast his omnipotent spell once more. Baron was bustling with the dawn of a new day as most of the guests were preparing to leave. Cecil and Rosa were graciously escorting many of Earth's guests to the edge of Baron, bidding them farewell with clasped hands and smiles. Not a single attendee was left wanting a word with the new king and queen, though where they found the energy, Golbez could only imagine.

The trees began waving as a hot blast of wind swept over the kingdom, resulting in startled yelps from the departing guests. It quickly became evident that their fears were unwarranted as the massive _Lunar Whale_ rose from the nearby forest with Cid at the helm. The entire Dwarvan kingdom were passengers, waving and cheering fond farewells as they were escorted back to the entrance of the Underworld. Cecil and Rosa returned their hearty farewells with vigor until the _Lunar Whale_ was far out of sight.

_At this rate, the entire day will be wasted on formalities_, Golbez thought tiredly. He was familiar with protocol, but he almost always did what he wanted how he wanted. Then again, his actions **had** been considered evil, so perhaps order and the niceties served a purpose after all…

As the hours passed, the remaining guests of Baron had dwindled down to Cecil's friends. They gathered around a campfire as night fell over Earth, Edward playing the harp once more. Yang rested his back against a log with his wife's arms wrapped around him. "Just like old times," Yang said out loud with a smile very evident beneath his blonde moustache.

"Indeed," Cecil said, clasping Rosa's hand softly as Palom and Porom were snoring against each of his shoulders. "When do you plan to return to Fabul?"

"Sheila and I will be heading back tomorrow on the king's request," Yang said. "We'd love to stay longer…but we have a lot of work to do."

"I'm sorry…" Cecil said guiltily. The Siege of Fabul had been the Redwings' doing. As a matter of fact, most if not all of Earth's current problems stemmed from Baron's mistakes. "Just know that you have Baron's full support. Any resources, workers, anything you need, we will spare no expense to help you."

"We appreciate that," Yang said with a smile. "What about you, Edward?"

Edward, lost in concentration for his craft, took several moments to answer. "I will also be leaving tomorrow," he said. "There are a lot survivors and refugees from some of the other attacked nations. We must start rebuilding."

"As I said to Yang…anything you need, we will provide," Cecil said.

Edward tipped his hat in response. "What do Palom and Porom plan to do?" He asked.

"They will be going back to Mysidia in a few days," Cecil said. "They're now rumored to be the most powerful mages of Mysidia and will be receiving intensive training from the Elder."

"They really do have potential," Rosa said with a smile as she played with Palom's hair. "And you, Edge? You've been awfully quiet tonight."

"I'll probably be staying in Baron for a little while," Edge said, somewhat distracted. "Where is Rydia?"

"A very good question," Cecil said with a frown. "I'm not sure."

Golbez felt apprehension and directed his vision over the entirety of Baron, honing in on each individual nighttime wanderer before he determined that Rydia was no longer in town. As he scoured the area for her, he realized with horror that Rydia was probably the one companion of Cecil that had no closure. Golbez had taken everything from her. Her family, her home, her future, even a normal upbringing. She had not been born into royalty or nobility unlike most of the others, and her time in the Feymarch would likely ensure this continued divide. How could she get what she rightly deserved?

Perhaps it was because his brother's marriage was still fresh on his mind, or maybe it was the sight of the ninja prince of Eblan frantically searching for Rydia, but whatever the reason, the answer came quickly to Golbez: love. Upon meeting her, Edge had become completely obsessed with this green-haired beauty. Born of royalty, skillful enough to earn the acknowledgement of Rubicante, and glorifying in the freedom of adventure, Edge was perfect. Should Rydia fall for him, Golbez sincerely believed they could achieve a well-earned happiness.

Golbez had moved his sights to the forest outside of Baron. He almost missed Rydia, as the green-haired beauty blended in well with the natural shrubbery and the dark tinted lake that she was bathing in. The majority of people would feel insecure in such close proximity to the kingdom, but Rydia has bypassed this insecurity. Suspecting her time in the Feymarch had deinstitutionalized her even more than he had first assumed, Golbez wondered more than ever if Rydia could adapt to the life of a queen or a noble.

As she finished her swim, Rydia emerged from the water and gingerly stepped before a nearby log. Muttering a minor incantation, the wood instantly caught on fire. As she stretched in front of it, regaining some of the warmth back in her legs, Edge stepped into the clearing.

"Rydia?" He said somewhat hoarsely, as if he had been shouting her name for hours. Her dark silhouette only emphasized her nudity, and though she robed up, Golbez got the feeling that this was only because it was the expected response. The tops of Edge's cheeks burned red as he realized what he had just stumbled across, but Rydia did not acknowledge or even seem to notice his embarrassment. She regarded him stonily for a moment before Edge hesitantly broke the awkward silence.

"Err…hey, Rydia. We were getting sort of worried about you," Edge mumbled.

"Well, I've been here this entire time."

"We didn't know that," Edge retorted irritably.

"Was there something you wanted, Edge?" She asked.

Edge picked out his words carefully. "I was just curious what your plans are for the future. Will you be staying in Baron, or returning to the Feymarch, or perhaps, going somewhere else?"

"I…don't know," Rydia said grimly. Would she even be allowed to return to the Feymarch? Queen Asura and King Leviathan had not acknowledged her desire to return during Cecil and Rosa's wedding. It seemed probably that they wanted her to stay in the Overworld with her own kind, a notion that hurt Rydia.

Unable to comprehend her feelings, Edge grew annoyed. Ever since returning from the moon over a year ago, she had been this way, stuck in a state of constant melancholy. Comforting Rosa in the wedding preparations and fronting at the actual event had been Rydia's only exceptions. What in the hell was she after?

"Well, if you need a place to stay, you're always welcome in Eblan," Edge said. Wondering why he had bothered coming after her in the first place, Edge turned around. "I'm gonna get back to the others. You should come and join us." Rydia made no attempt to stop Edge as he took off, moving towards the river with a bucket to wash out her hair. Golbez found the pair's actions almost contradictory to their actions of the previous evening, but he was no expert on the emotions of humans. Nonetheless, it was painful to watch.

An ear-piercing scream erupted from Rydia's mouth and Golbez snapped into attention, watching the summoner carefully. As she pulled her hair out of the water, it was dripping in warm, red blood.

_What the!? _Golbez stared at the water in which Rydia had been bathing. Gallons of blood were floating down towards her. As they stared upriver, the source of the bloodshed quickly became evident. A dead behemoth, anticipated and torn to shreds, floated past Rydia. One of its horns had been broken off, its tail was burnt to a crisp, and its grotesque torso was only recognizable as a behemoth by its massive size and purple complexion. Despite having fought them several times before, Rydia could not help but feel a surge of sympathy for the poor creatures.

"Damn," she whispered in realization. Behemoths almost always traveled in groups; an extremely daunting challenge if there were still a few of its companions lurking about. "Bahamut, Shiva!" Rydia called out as she summoned the two Eidolons. Looking around carefully, no enemy revealed itself, but as two more dead behemoths floated downstream, Rydia felt more restless than ever.

"I've gotta get out of here," she muttered. Golbez, supernaturally aware and cautious, became aware of the danger far before Rydia did and activated his _Fire_ spell in the direction of the predator. Rydia yelled out in alarm and jumped back, barely sidestepping a finely sharpened knife. It was still able to graze her cheek and create a fierce wound as it struck a tree behind her, lodging itself deep within the trunk. Rydia backed up several steps as her Eidolons stepped in front of her protectively.

A man emerged from the thicket, clad in red armor engraved with a symbol that made Golbez blanch. It was the symbol of the Red Wings, the currently disbanded military power of Baron that he had played an integral part in corrupting. While Zemus had gained most of his servants through mind-control and manipulation, most of the Redwings that joined after the end of Cecil's command had been swayed by promises of riches and power. Baigen had been used as an example to convince many of the others of what could be theirs. With Golbez absent and Zemus dead, these Redwings had been designated traitors and were now wanted dead or alive.

"Who are you?" Rydia asked cautiously. As a knife flew at her once more, Shiva froze it with the snap of her fingers. It fell to the ground harmlessly, shattering as Rydia glared at her amused assailant.

"My name is Symond and you, my dear, are exactly the sort of leverage I need to make a fresh start for myself!"

Rydia did not have all the information Golbez did, but she was in no way a fool. She recognized the Red Wings engraving as well, and knew that Symond was a wanted man. Bahamut coiled around Rydia protectively as Shiva charged at the former assassin. With the snap of her fingers, Shiva was able to solidify the water that existed in the humid air, creating chunks of ice that she chunked one piece after another at Symond.

"Impressive!" Symond exclaimed, but he was able to deflect each piece of ice with his hidden array of knives. As he felt a chill biting at his feet, he realized that Shiva was starting to freeze his legs and quickly retreated into the trees for concealment. Rydia, who loved nature in its entirety, could not bear to bombard the forest even to destroy the assassin.

Somewhere throughout the trees, a soft chant was being made. Rydia could not distinguish the words, but Golbez could hear each and every word and was filled with dread. What could counteract this?

_Shell_! Golbez jumped into the incantation immediately, creating a magical barrier around Rydia just in the nick of time. Symond's spell was complete, and Rydia screamed as a small comet ripped through the woods and came smashing down on her. Although it did not have the punch of a _bona fide_ black mage's _Comet_ or _Meteor_ spell, it was powerful enough to break through Golbez's protective barrier and knock Bahamut out of the way, blasting Rydia to the ground. Golbez gasped in relief; without his aid, Rydia would have been nothing but a corpse at this point.

"Shiva!" Rydia screamed as she jumped to her feet, pointing in the direction of the attack. Shiva dashed towards Symond but came face-to-face with an invisible wall set up by Symond who had anticipated such an assault.

_Reflect? This bastard has his bases covered, _Golbez thought bitterly as Shiva bounced off the wall, disintegrating as she returned to the Feymarch to recover. Bahamut recognized this strategy previously utilized by a younger Rydia and her friends. Such a tactic was very dangerous, even against his _Mega Flare_ attack.

Rydia, thinking along the same lines, cast _Shell_ on Bahamut, followed by _Reflect_. Bahamut understood her intentions and charged into the trees, howling fiercely. Symond's barriers smashed into Bahamut, but Rydia's _Shell _cancelled out most of the damage. Panicky, Symond unleashed a volley of knives on Bahamut, but all of them backfired thanks to Rydia's defense spell. Dodging them to the best of his abilities, Symond was still painfully nicked in the left shoulder. As he retreated further and further into the forest, Golbez and Rydia could both sense the growing desperation in this deadly foe's mind.

"If you surrender now, I can promise King Cecil will show you mercy," Rydia called into the trees. She hadn't expected such a tactic to work, but to her surprise, Symond stepped out into the opening facing Rydia and Bahamut with his hands placed over his head.

"You win," he groaned. "You are just too powerful for me." Rydia cautiously approached him, still suspicious, but Symond smiled sweetly and placed his arms out for her to bind. As she tied up his arms, she pushed him forward.

"Now let's go to Baron."

As she said this, Symond's arm suddenly lashed out and grabbed her by the neck. She gasped in his grasp, flailing in a vain attempt to breathe. His arms had broken through the rope she had tied him with, expanding and reshaping menacingly in the form of snakes. As his body enlarged and expanded, tentacles hung off his body like hair, a long tail burst out of his backside, and his legs grew muscled. A pair of purple eyes glared at the captive summoner through the night.

"What…is this?" Rydia choked out. Bahamut unleashed a powerful roar of anger and whipped his tail towards Symond.

"Fool!" Symond chided Bahamut as he sidestepped the Eidolon's attack. One of the tentacles on his body shot forth and impaled Bahamut in the chest. A wide splatter of blood accompanied Bahamut's roar of agony as he crashed to the ground.

Rydia let loose a blood curling scream as she desperately tried to loosen the titan's grip. "Let me go! Please!" She cried, tears dripping down her cheeks as dizziness threatened to overwhelm her.

"This is the darkness that you could never hope to defeat," Symond rasped. "I'll show the entire world what power you could only dream of extinguishing!" Symond titled her horizontally and coiled one of his snake-arms around her legs, the other around her chest, and began pulling at her. As Rydia's muscles flexed in a useless attempt to defy the pain, she realized that Symond was trying to rip her body in half.

"Stop! Stop!" She screamed, but a cackle of laughter was her only response as her body began popping. As her line of sight became an increasingly tiny black tunnel, she whispered _goodbye _to everything she knew as the dark consumed her.

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**Author's Note: Another update is complete! Hope you enjoyed! Please drop me a review if this was enjoyable. Favorites and follows are always great but feedback is probably where I feel the most love. Also, just to clarify, this fanfiction only follows Final Fantasy IV. I don't know anything about the Interlude or After Years, so please keep that in mind while reading. **

**Crow**


	3. Edge

**Chapter 3: Edge**

Edge swore loudly as he bounded through the forest back to where he had encountered Rydia not even ten minutes ago. Her screams and the roars of one of her Eidolons had caught his attention instantly and he had never been so terrified in all of his life, not even that terrible day his parents had been mutilated by Golbez's henchmen. Enduring the continuous sting of branches and vines whipping at his face as he pushed his way towards the clearing, he went completely still as a loud crack echoed throughout the silent woods. Heart thumping, he peeked behind two trees and beheld a gruesome sight.

An ugly monster, about eight or nine feet high, with snakes for arms had Edge's lovely Rydia in its slippery grip. Edge realized with fury that the crack he had heard had come from Rydia's body. _Shit, shit, shit!_ Edge cursed silently as he quickly contemplated his options. Rydia was a powerful mage and the roars he had heard earlier meant that her Eidolons had come to her aid, yet they were no longer present. If this creature was powerful enough to fend off both of these forces, charging in would probably prove a foolhardy choice. Searching quickly through his inventory, Edge saw that he still had four kunai, a Phoenix Down, a Siren, a Red Fang, several rolls of string, and a piece of plastic tubing. He scowled, disappointed in himself for not restocking or at least bringing with him the knife that Yang's wife had given him. As a ninja, and as a former prince, he had been taught to make the most of what he had, so he resigned himself to the fact that he could do nothing about his lack of resources. Surveying the landscape carefully, he formulated a strategy and sprang into action.

Golbez was caught in a predicament, simultaneously casting _Curaga_ and _Protect_ on Rydia, with little avail. Symond's inhuman strength was making it impossible for Golbez to make any progress, but nonetheless, his efforts were hindering the monster's efforts to kill her. Realizing a supernatural force was at work, Symond barked aloud, "Where the hell are you? Show yourself, you bastard!"

Edge froze in place, certain he hadn't made a single sound that could be traced back to him. He had even disguised his smell before setting his plan into effect, lest Symond identify another human presence by Edge's sweet cologne, but his worries were unwarranted. Symond looked around suspiciously, before he resumed trying to rip Rydia in half. He knew there was no way Rydia could be kept in such a stable condition without magical interference, and to test his theory, he sliced her arm, only to watch the wound immediately mend itself before his eyes. Chuckling, Symond set Rydia on the ground and looked to the skies, with his tongue out. As clear a challenge as any Golbez had ever received. Unfortunately, as the orchestrator for this monstrosity, he knew that Symond's current form was capable of absorbing magic, meaning that for now, all he could do is make sure Rydia remained alive. His mana reserves were in a state of constant depletion as Symond fatally inflicted cuts all over Rydia's body, prompting Golbez to further cast healing magic over her. _Hurry up, Edge. _Golbez thought bitterly. He knew Edge was there, but how long the ninja would need was beyond him. As it turned out, not long at all.

"Hyah!" Edge howled as he kicked Symond from the back. The beast toppled wide-eyed as Rydia's hero landed before her. Golbez sighed with relief as Rydia's wounds were finally fully healed. She was unconscious, but otherwise, unharmed.

"Are you the one that's been restoring this woman?" Symond rasped as he got back up on his feet. "Didn't think you were foolish enough to take me on directly."

"Restoring?" Edge's clear surprise confused Symond, but he disregarded it.

"If it wasn't you, why are you interfering?"

"That's my woman you're killing," Edge growled, his eyes blazing with fury.

"Oh?" Symond's lip curled. "And what are you going to do about it?"

"Glad you asked!" Edge charged at the beast. Symond's tentacles shot towards Edge, a surprise technique the ninja hadn't expected, but Symond did not expect an attack of such speed to be countered.

"Impossible!" He hissed as his barrage of tentacles struck the ground, sliced evenly in two. Edge held both of his swords in the air.

"Bet you weren't expecting me to be armed with the legendary katanas, Masamune and Murasame," he said wickedly. Dashing towards Symond once again with his swords bared, Symond's defense did not so much as hinder Edge's ability to strike a scoring hit on Symond's arm.

"You're dead!" Symond roared enraged. Though he was genuinely pissed off, Edge noticed he didn't appear to be particularly hurt. Symond began ripping off tentacles from his body, throwing them on the ground around Edge. Edge stared at the beast bewildered.

"I've seen sore losers before…" Edge muttered, "but this takes the cake."

The motive behind Symond's erratic action quickly became evident as the tentacles, still flopping on the ground, began to expand. Enlarging and expanding, they slowly rose upwards, sprouting white hair, hissing mouths, and slanted eyes. No mistaking what this meant; Edge's foe had the ability to produce King Nagas.

"Fine!" Edge exclaimed, jumping back and activating hand signs. "If you're gonna be that way…"

Symond watched in disbelief as one Edge became two, then four, then eight, and before long, a cluster of Edges littered the area.

"You think you're fooling me?" Symond snarled. "Those are only illusions. If you could create solid clones, you would have done so from the beginning."

"Enough talk!" Edge exclaimed, and the group in its entirety charged at Symond. The Nagas began targeting Edge's doppelgangers one by one. Realizing his _Image_ technique would lose its efficiency if all of the clones were dispelled, Edge and his counterparts turned towards the snakelike creatures and released Edge's _Flame_ technique, matting the area with fire. There was only one legitimate attack, but it significantly slowed down Edge's enemy as he continued sprinting toward Symond. He pulled out all four of his kunai as he drew nearer and nearer. In such close proximity, Symond was now able to see past the illusion and discern the true Edge as he released his kunai.

"Fool!" Symond yelled as he easily dove out of the way. Perhaps this ninja wasn't as skilled as he thought; the aim wasn't even centered. There was more than enough room to dodge to the left…

"Gotcha," Edge's eyes glimmered as he charged into the relocated Symond, pushing the beast over a suspicious looking piece of land. As he stumbled over it, the land gave way and Symond fell into a pit about fifteen feet deep. Screaming as he landed on his back, he heard Edge chuckling softly above him.

"How could you prepare this so quickly?" Symond angrily exclaimed as he got to his feet.

"I'm a ninja," Edge said simply.

"I see," Symond icily replied. "Well, I was a former Dragoon turned Redwing under Kain's command. This pathetic hole isn't enough to keep me trapped."

"By all means, prove me wrong," Edge said cockily. Symond snarled and bent his legs in the same posture that Kain would always use when he was about to go airborne. Pushing off the ground, Symond's head caught onto several pieces of string Edge had prepared immediately after pushing Symond into the pit. Symond's eyes grew wide as the string pulled forth something, a Red Fang, that Edge had stuffed inside a piece of plastic tubing and concealed in the pit's walls.

"Damnation!" Symond howled in agony as the fang flew into his torso and erupted into a blazing inferno, knocking him back into the pit. Charred, he rolled around on the limited ground that had been afforded him before squinting back up at Edge.

"You dared to harm the girl of my dreams," Edge said, spitting the words venomously. "Apologize and I'll think about sparing your life."

"I'm sorry!" Symond croaked. "I was wrong; I swear it'll never happen again."

"I see," Edge said cheerfully. Placing his hand to his chin, he closed his eyes briefly before they fluttered back open. "Well, I thought about it and sorry but you're still gonna die.

"W…what are you doing?" Symond gasped as Edge held a Siren above the pit.

"You can regret your mistakes in Hell," Edge said coldly as he activated the object and dropped it in the pit. A nightmarish shriek erupted from the Siren, attracting monsters far and wide. The King Nagas began slithering towards the pit with hunger in their eyes. Symond quickly transformed them back into tentacles and scrambled, trying to find the monster magnet, but to no avail. His eyesight had been badly burnt by the flames of the Red Fang, and his snake hands would no longer properly relay the information to his brain that his human hands would even if he had found it. He tried jumping again, but his injuries were worse than he thought. Falling back down wheezing, he heard a growl above him.

"No…no…" Symond whimpered as several Behemoths appeared before him.

"Poetic justice," Edge muttered, having long caught sight of Symond's earlier victims. A trio of Behemoths dived into the pit as Symond screamed. An eruption of growls and howls filled the pit for a few agonizing minutes before the three Behemoths crawled out. They faced Edge for a moment, but stalked off looking bored. Edge jumped into the pit to inspect what remained of Symond's corpse, before he destroyed the Siren and jumped back out.

Golbez watched Edge admirably. If he hadn't already been the king of Eblan, he would have made a first-rate military advisor. Approaching Rydia, Edge uncorked the Phoenix Down and poured its yellow liquids into Rydia's open mouth. He jumped in surprise at the immediacy of Rydia's recovery as her eyelids fluttered open. They locked on him, and for a moment, she looked afraid.

"Am I…in Heaven?" She asked timidly.

"No, it only looks that way because I'm here," Edge cracked. Rydia smiled lightly but groaned as she struggled to move.

"What happened? Last I remember, I was being attacked by a former Redwing…"

"He won't be bothering you ever again," Edge said confidently. "I took care of him 'cause you're my woman."

"Your woman, huh?" Rydia said contemplatively. "I guess your woman would give you a kiss after being saved like that?"

"Ideally," Edge affirmed, unable to hide the excitement in his voice.

Rydia looked shyly at him and leaned forward with her lips puckered. Edge's heart was beating faster than he had ever known as he closed his eyes and leaned forward as well, only to be rewarded with a soft slap across his cheek.

"Just kidding," Rydia said with a grin. Though he should have expected it, Edge felt his heart sinking nonetheless.

"Well, I suppose we should get back," Edge said sullenly. "Everyone was worried about you." As he turned to leave, he felt Rydia's soft hands catch his.

"Including you?" She asked with a smile.

"Especially me," Edge answered, causing Rydia's smile to widen. It absolutely made his heart melt.

"Rydia," Edge said determinedly, "what do I have to do to make you love me?" Rydia looked taken aback by his sudden candor.

"I'm not sure what you mean," Rydia said.

"I mean I just risked my hide to save you and I haven't even gotten a "thanks" from you, let alone a kiss. Tell me what I have to do to make you love me!" Edge begged.

"But Edge, why would you have to do something to make me love you," Rydia said, a truly beautiful smile spreading over her face, "when I've loved you all along?"

Edge stared at her dumbfounded, completely at a loss for words. "I…you…um…"

"Well, are you going to kiss me?" Rydia drew closer to Edge's face. She gently pulled his mask off, revealing his true face for the first time. His heart a symphony of beats, Edge leaned into Rydia's chest and connected his lips with hers, a warm, salty sensation pressed to his mouth. At long last, they were joined together by the longing that each had always shared but found difficult to express the full depths of. As he sank into their embrace, Edge felt that this moment was perfect, just as he had always pictured it.

"HEY, YOU PUNKS!" Edge rolled off Rydia in irritation as Cid's voice blared through a loud speaker. "IS EVERYTHING ALL RIGHT?" Looking up, he saw that the crazy geezer had taken flight in one of his many airships and had been searching for the duo.

Rydia's face flushed a deep shade of pink as she cupped her hands together and yelled up," We're fine now!"

"CLIMB ABOARD AND WE"LL FLY BACK TO BARON!" Cid said.

"Thanks, old man." Edge called as a ladder descended. As they were about climb up, Rydia stopped Edge with an outreached hand.

"Come to think of it, how did I survive that? You didn't come along until after I passed out and by that point, Symond was doing his best to murder me…"

"Oh…I'm not sure, but he seemed to believe someone was casting protective spells on you," Edge said, his brow furrowed.

Rydia looked around carefully before she smiled towards the skies. "If you're still around, can you give us a sign?" A small combustion caught her attention a few yards away, startling Edge and affirming Rydia's suspicions.

"Whoever you are…thank you," Rydia said with a smile. As she began climbing the ladder, Edge looked around carefully. Sure that no one else was around, he stooped into as low a bow as he was physically capable of, an act unheard of for the prideful Eblanian, before he joined Rydia up the ladder. From his slumber, Golbez smiled.

As the trio arrived in Baron several minutes later, they were genuinely surprised to be greeted by an outburst of cheers from half of the kingdom. All of their friends were at the front of the cheering, but Rosa was the first to run and embrace Rydia with unexpected vigor.

"Thank goodness you two are all right!" Rosa exclaimed, her voice slightly muffled against Rydia's hair.

"Why wouldn't we be?" Edge asked, curious as to how Baron could have known the danger they were in.

"We heard Rydia's screams from our camp site," Cecil said seriously. "Half an hour later, we also received reports of several sightings of the disbanded Redwings in the area. It's not hard to add one and one."

"Was I really that loud?" Rydia whispered to Edge self-consciously. He laughed at her.

"Yeah you were, but if you hadn't been you'd be dead now."

"What are you saying?" Rydia huffed affronted. "I wouldn't have been killed by someone like that!"

"Of course not, since I was there to protect you!"

"Like I need protection from you!"

The two spent several minutes bickering pointlessly, much to the amusement of the bystanders. Eventually, Edge said something rude and perverted, causing Rydia to slap him. As Edge lay on the ground with a hand print on his face, Rydia, nostrils flaring, exclaimed, "If you're going to be that way, why do you want me?"

At this, Edge immediately grew serious as he stood up and grasped Rydia's hands. "For me, there can be no one but you."

"What are you saying?" Rydia asked trembling, all eyes now very attentive and eager. Edge mumbled something incomprehensible and Rydia had to get closer to understand. As he repeated himself, she became wide-eyed and slightly flustered.

"You...want me to marry you?" she asked. The crowd gasped, Cecil and Rosa fixated on the scene at hand, and even the normally loud Cid was silent as a corpse.

"Yeah…" Edge said. "You're everything to me. I…I dunno what I would do if anything happened to you." He said quietly. Tears were pouring down Rydia's face now.

"Of course I will," She whispered, causing the crowd to give an enthusiastic whoop of joy. Energetic Cid was now back to his former self as well.

"Well, how 'bout that! The little king gets the willies when proposing!" He roared with laughter. Edge was beside himself with joy.

"Shut up you old geezer and join me for a drink!"

Remarkably, several kegs had already been prepared, and drinks were rapidly poured plentifully for all. Cid and Edge clashed mugs together, and drank with their usual enthusiasm. Rydia shook her head at Edge's childishness, but perhaps that was one of the things she liked about him. Shrugging, she took her own cup and joined in. Falling asleep on Edge's lap later, Rydia had an expression of utter peacefulness on her face as the midnight came. Cecil and Rosa, now alone in their sobriety, toasted the union of two more of their friends as Golbez closed his mind to their world. He had spent a surprisingly large amount of mana, but it had been well worth it. As he took one final glance at Edge snoring contently and Rydia burying her face into his chest, he grinned. Well worth it indeed.

* * *

**Author's Note: Chapter 3 is finally up! I heard that in the After Years, Edge and Rydia still weren't married and that was a very depressing conclusion to me. That's why, being the omnipotent author I am, I decided to shack them up. Hope you all enjoyed their fate together. Stay tuned next time for…Tellah?**

**Crow**


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